Culinary steamer

Abstract

A steamer system for culinary use comprises one or more stackable food receptacles ( 4 ) having lower surfaces provided with steam-receiving openings, a removable base ( 12 ) to which a lower receptacle is releasably securable, and a cover for the uppermost receptacle releasably securable thereto and formed with a carrying handle ( 34 ), the receptacles ( 4 ), base ( 12 ) and lid ( 14 ) being securable with releasable clips ( 20 ).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A steamer system comprising:
 at least one food receptacle provided with steam-receiving openings and having a pair of flanges laterally extending from opposing sides of each of an upper portion and a lower portion thereof; 
 a removable base having a pair of flanges laterally extending from opposing sides thereof, the pair of flanges of the removable base being disposed contiguous with the pair of flanges on the lower portion of the at least one food receptacle; 
 a cover having a pair of flanges laterally extending from opposing sides thereof, the pair of flanges of the cover being disposed contiguous with the pair of flanges on the upper portion of the at least one food receptacle , said cover being formed with a handle on a top side thereof for carrying the steamer system; and 
 a plurality of clips, a pair of said clips each detachably engaging and longitudinally capturing an adjacent pair of the contiguous flanges of the base and the at least one food receptacle for releasably securing the base to the at least one food receptacle when longitudinally stacked one with respect to the other, and another pair of said plurality of clips each detachably engaging and longitudinally capturing an adjacent pair of the contiguous flanges of the cover and the at least one food receptacle for releasably securing the cover to the at least one food receptacle when placed longitudinally thereon; 
 wherein the said adjacent pair of said contiguous flanges engaged by said clips include aligned openings, and wherein the clips are insertable through said aligned openings and twistable into a locking position. 
 
     
     
       2. The steamer system according to  claim 1 ; wherein the aligned openings are of elongate form, the clips end having an insertion end with formations of corresponding elongate form, and at an opposite end a wing-nut portion for being grasped by the user in order to rotate the clips to a locking position. 
     
     
       3. The steamer system according to  claim 1 ; wherein said base contains a steam generator mounted therein. 
     
     
       4. The steamer system according to  claim 3  wherein the steam generator includes an electrical steam generating element.